“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’” Luke 15:25-31
Usually, I try to end my post with either a suggestion or a reflection. Today I’m going to start with a thought that is both. God has blessed me by allowing me to be a part of the devotional team at South. If you were to stand outside the door of our meeting, you might think Pastor Aaron to be the Jokemeister. We laugh a lot. But much more than that happens. Each of us comes in with a unique set of experiences, experiences that color our understanding of scripture. Everytime I leave, I exit taking more away with me than I had when I entered. My suggestion\reflection is this. Whenever you read scripture, seek out someone else as a sounding board. Learn all you can and then share it with someone else. It happens to me every week. God’s Word is living and active, waiting for Special Delivery.
The reason I started there is because of a new insight from our devotional meeting. I have likely read the story of the Prodigal Son many hundreds of times. Yeah, I’m old. Until last week, the Prodigal always dominated my thinking. The father was a great guy. The older son, not so much!! He would never have appeared on my Christmas list. But as I considered things, I realized that at times I’ve been all three of those guys. Sometimes in the period of a week. I’ve shared much, squandered even more, and spent way too many moments looking down my nose at those I have seen as below me. If you really want to profit from this parable, take time to consider the Yays and Nays of all three characters. There is much to learn.
This week we are looking at the older brother. He struggled with a perspective we can all succumb to.
“…. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’” Luke 15:25-30
The older brother struggled with a misconception all of us share at times. Jesus puts it succinctly for us.
“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13
The older brother felt he had earned the “unjust” rewards his brother had received. That is sacrifice. He should have gotten those rewards. Not his profligate brother. But God is looking for mercy not sacrifice. Romans 6:23 provides an essential understanding.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
The Living Bible termed it the “free gift of God”. We can’t be blessed by it based on our hard work. The parable of the workers in the vineyard expresses God’s point of view very clearly.
“….But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ Matthew 20:1-15
It is a free gift. God asks simply this from us:
Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. Romans 15:2
Go and do likewise!!
by Bruce Hanson
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